(HBO) - Muong ethnic group’s traditional wrestling is both an unique traditional folk game and a sport for youths. Every New Year when spring comes, Muong traditional wrestling is revived at festivals, apart from fun sports such as crossbow shooting, tug of war, stick pushing and volleyball.
Muong traditional
wrestling at 2020 Khoi communal house festival in An Nghia commune, Lac Son
district.
Muong traditional wrestling has existed for
thousands years. In the past, locals competed in wrestling matches, not only
during spring festivals. During the opening of the 2020 Khoi communal house
festival in An Nghia commune, Lac Son dsitrict, the revival of Muong
traditional wrestling was welcomed by the public.
Meritorious Artisan Bui Huy Vong from Huong
Nhuong commune, Lac Son district said traditional wrestling was an official
sport at the district sports festival in 2017. It is not only a folk game but
also a religious ritual during festivals. The game is quite simple, only
requiring a few movements to play. But to play well, experience and techniques
are needed to win rivals. Also according to him, the game is the most popular
in former Lien Vu commune (now Vu Ban township).
In Muong Khenh area, Van Son commune, Lac Son
district, a temple (now already demolished) was dedicated to Chuong Tin and
Trieu An (legend has it that they were generals of Trieu Thi Trinh) – who led
the people against the Wu enemy. According to the legend, apart from training
soldiers in crossbow shooting, they also included Muong wrestling into a
compulsory training session each day for soldiers. Every three years, on the
full moon day of the second lunar month, the Muong people hold a big festival.
Traditional wrestling and crossbow shooting have become religious rituals to
remember Chuong Tin and Trieu An who trained soldiers in the past.
This game is usually held on flat grounds or
clean sandy beaches, without any sticks or gravels to ensure the safety of
wrestlers. Only two opponents join each round. When entering the match, both
must absolutely obey the referee's instructions. The winner will be promoted to
the next round, while the loser will be out of the game.
Muong traditional wrestling is quite diverse in
style and trick, but there are some basic steps such as preparation, also known
as "catching" (hugging), during which the two wrestlers step to face,
with straight back and chest rubbing close together, and then hand out hugging
behind the opponents’ belts on the principle of inside and outside hands. This
step requires straight back naturally, feet placed in parallel with the
opponent's on the principle inside and outside legs. When the two sides do not
break the rules of catching, the referee will order them to compete.Whoever
falls to the ground or is dropped to the ground is defeated. The rules seem to
be simple, but the way to play the game makes it hard for the opponent to use
bad tricks or fraud.
Nowadays, many modern sports have gradually
replaced Muong traditional wrestling. In the coming time, the provincial
Culture, Sports and Tourism Department is expected to pay more attention to
preserving and upholding traditional cultural values of the nation, including
Muong traditional wrestling./.
Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province, is widely regarded as the cultural heartland of the Muong ethnic group. Among its many traditional communities, Luy Ai hamlet (formerly Ai hamlet) stands out as a rare location where the customs and way of life of the Muong Bi people remain largely intact.
The Truong Kha temple festival, a distinctive cultural event held every three years in Vu Ban township, Lac Son district, returned recently with vibrant rituals and folk traditions of the Muong people. Located next to the Buoi River in the Muong Trao fields, the Truong Kha Temple is dedicated to the three Kun Dol deities, revered for teaching farming techniques, irrigation, weaving, and protecting the harvest.
The demand for spaces serving community activities of residents in various areas across Hoa Binh city has been satisfied as local cultural houses now feature modern, spacious facilities thanks to the effective implementation of Resolution No. 49/NQ-HDND issued on December 28, 2021 by the city People's Council, which approved the plan for reorganising, converting, and allocating land for the construction, repair, and expansion of cultural houses in Hoa Binh’s villages and residential areas until 2025.
At the end of May, the Hoa Binh Provincial Ethnic Arts Troupe organized a series of performances for residents in Region 2 and Region 3 communes across the province. Bringing art to ethnic communities in remote, isolated, and especially disadvantaged areas has become a meaningful activity. These are not merely artistic performances but also journeys to disseminate cultural values, enrich spiritual life, and contribute to preserving the cultural identity of ethnic minorities.
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